The Future Queen and King of Dauntless

Chapter 54

Tris POV

Pain.

That is all I can register right now and that alone lets me know I am alive. The ground below me is cold and sticky. I blink. I see Tobias above me worry across his handsome face. Our eyes lock as I raise my hand to his cheek wiping away a falling tear.

"Tris, I'm alright I promise." He leans down and kisses my forehead as he wraps his arms around me gently lifting me into a sitting position. I scream out in pain as I go to move my shoulder. "Sorry." Is all he can say to me. I nod.

"What happened?"

I sit there listening to Tobias as he tells me what happened. I feel empty emotionless, as if a piece of me died, I wonder if I can get it back. When he finishes he slowly stands up and brings me into his arms, I wince at the pain. I take a moment to look at my surroundings. Eric has his foot over Albert's throat, keeping him planted on his back on the ground. Zeke is holding onto Uriah as if his life depended on it. Uriah's face bright red from yelling, tears down his face. Shauna crying her hands over her eyes. My mother and father are gone I can only assume to the infirmary where I know I will be ending up soon. Caleb smiling at me as he and Cara are hugging. Peter looking as smug as ever, Molly smiling slightly her arm wrapped around his waist as his is around her shoulders. I shudder not sure if from the uneasy feeling or from the amount of blood I have lost. Lauren is talking to Lynn. She then walks over to Eric, bending slightly and smacks Albert in the face. A bright red hand print developing on his cheek.

"Let's get you to the infirmary." I don't speak, I just lay my head in the crook of his neck and close my eyes breathing in his scent, letting his embrace calm my frayed nerves. A tear falls down my cheek as we leave the ballroom behind.

Tobias POV

It all happens way to fast. So fast I have no time to react. The bullet leaves Marlene's gun at the exact moment Eric's body collides into her bringing her to the ground. The precise moment when Tris fires, her reaction time spot on, hitting Marlene in the stomach, it would have been the heart if Eric had not knocked her down, but then it would have been Tris' skull instead of her shoulder that got hit. I watch as if in slow motion as Tris falls to the ground her head bouncing slightly as her body makes contact with the floor. Shauna's scream is heard through the ballroom, possibly the whole castle. I drop to my knees beside Tris scared that I may never see her beautiful no that word is too small, piercing eyes. I just want to be able to have at least one more kiss, one more word, one more glance. I pray. Something I haven't done since my parent's death. I pray that she will stay with me. I watch her as her chest raises and falls, letting me know she is still with me. I pick my weapon off the ground where it lays next to Tris' hand and survey the surroundings.

My eyes land on Uriah, he is kneeling next to Marlene. Based on the shaking of his shoulders he is crying. His hands tinted red from holding the wound on her stomach. In the chaos of all of this I notice Albert trying to slither his way out of the ballroom.

"Eric!" I yell pointing towards the world's biggest coward.

He nods and lunges at him taking him down. He stomps his foot down onto his throat, not hard enough to kill just hard enough to incapacitate till more guards can come to take him to the holding cell. What are we going to do? I question myself, he is a king, though he does not deserve that title. Lauren and Lynn are checking on the other royals making sure they are alright. Tris' mom leaves her husband for a few moments to tie up Drew then check on me and Tris. She kisses Tris than stands back up extending her hand out to me. I grab it hesitantly.

"You love her, I can tell you two share a bond that not many get a chance to do in this situation. I expect you to treat her well and keep her safe. All this," she gestures around the ballroom, "may be done but I never, and I mean never want to hear of her being hurt like this anymore. Do you understand me...Tobias." She speaks my name quietly enough that only I can hear it.